Chapter 27.1

In the face of Anna’s outspoken provocation—

Franz’s handsome face twitched with unconcealable irritation.

Meanwhile, the soldiers were at a loss of what to do between the two of them.

It was hard enough running around all day; they didn’t want to sleep outside after all that they’d done. Plus, they wouldn’t be able to reach another region this far into the night.

With the same wish in their hearts, the soldiers all thought.

‘Sir Franz, please! Please just let it go this one time!’

Franz’s lips were quivering. Fortunately, what came out of his mouth was a voice that had more or less tamped down the rage to a certain point.

“I heard the village chief explain the situation to you. Where will we be sleeping?”

“I’ve prepared some space inside the restaurant. Let me kindly guide you there. If you’d prefer not to have sand in your food tomorrow, make sure to dust your shoes off real well before you come in. We don’t have any servants to take them off for you, you see. Though as highly educated people as you are, I’m sure you all know enough to do well!”

His hands trembling, Franz followed Anna in.

In one corner of the restaurant, he was met with a scene that seemed like it had come straight out of the military academy dormitories.

Wooden frames and thick mattresses were laid out on the floor to keep out the chill, and blankets covered where each of them would lie their bodies.

Franz swallowed down the urge to say that ‘sleeping in the dukedom’s stables would be better than this.’

After all, if it was this woman, laughingly clowning about from under his chin, she wouldn’t hesitate to say, ‘oh, then would you like to sleep in the stables? We’ll attend to the horses here,’ or worse.

In the end, Franz nodded for the sake of his subordinates at least. Taking that gesture as a sign, the soldiers took up spots in the cots one by one.

It must not have been so bad—once they had seated themselves, their faces gradually cleared up.

Franz willed up every inch of his body to say in soulless monotone, “Thank you for preparing.”

“No problem! If you have any complaints, please tell them to me now instead of unfairly insulting me right before you leave. I’ll take care of it right away!”

Fortunately before Franz’s soul could return with fiery rage, the ever-unwitting Erich changed up the atmosphere.

“My lady, what should we do if we’re thirsty during the night?”

“Uegh, I’m no lady! I’ll prepare some bottles for you. If you happen to need more, you can use the well outside.”

“Thank you. But it seems everyone here dislikes the word ‘lady,’ is that right?”

“It gives me goosebumps, that’s why. Who else said so?”

“I met a young lady named ‘Lara.’ Earlier, when I was helping her with the laundry… Or, I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I was creating more work for Miss Lara with my clumsiness than helping her.”

With a bashful smile, Erich scratched the back of his head. Seeing Erich do so, Anna’s feelings also loosened a little.

T/N: PROTECC ERICH ahem anyways

She’d thought that all the city folks were arrogant pricks, but apparently there were completely fine guys like this one, too.

Soon, after Anna returned with water bottles, her arms were re-filled with snacks and alcohol.

“This is on the house, since you bought a lot earlier this afternoon! If you can’t seem to sleep, feel free to eat these.”

“Oh gracious, thank you so much for this.”

The soldiers’ tense faces also loosen softly, one by one they also brought out beef jerky or other finger foods from their person.

They also had candy, sweets, and snack-worthy breads that they’d brought to give to the city children for questioning. Anna was unable to hide her sparkling eyes.

“Hehe, I came here to serve you well, but it’s like I’m getting treated instead.”

“It’s nothing. Are you the owner of this restaurant, miss?”

“My mom and I run it together. So have you found that Ber-what’s-his-face you were looking for yet?”

“No. We had no clues.”

Delighted in the inside, Anna continued.

“That’s too bad, the village is pretty widespread, so it must have been hard enough going about the entire length of it. Why have you come to this village if you had no clues?”

“We’re using the process of elimination after tracking down his traces. We’ve already gone to all the other places nearby here, and this village is the last.”

“…What if, just what if, have you considered that your person may have already died while wandering around?”

All the soldiers, and even Franz, shook their heads.

“He is not someone to die so easily.”

Thanks to that, Anna once again confirmed it with herself.

That the person they were seeking was, indeed, the Bertram that she knew.

Put another way, it also meant that they knew ‘the Bertram Anna didn’t know,’ too.

In curiosity, Anna cautiously opened her mouth.

“Is ‘that person’ a high-up man? If he’s a noble, then people like us shouldn’t be messing with him even by mistake.”

As they had not decided on a stance about this yet, the soldiers all turned their heads to look at Franz. Franz considered the question for a moment.

If he revealed that Bertram was an invaluable figure, you could never be sure that all sorts of flies wouldn’t flock to him to get something out of him somehow.

“He is not a noble.”

That was about 50% the truth. He was royalty instead.

“However, he does have a contractual relationship with nobles, and because he had left the capital without fulfilling the contract, we are currently tracking him down.”

This too was not a lie.

After all, Bertram and Franz had the contractual relationship of a prince and his knight.

“Though it would be great if you could observe proper decorum, if need be it doesn’t matter if you must use force. He’s very durable, so you won’t find a scratch on him. If the man is caught, we plan to reward the village amply.”

He said the word ‘reward’ with strong emphasis, but Anna only looked uninspired.

There had never been a time before when some higher-up had promised they’d ‘do something-or-other’ to the village and kept it. She had no expectations on that end.